Substitute Teaching

[dmspiel]

I am going to begin substitute teaching next week and was wanting any advice as to what you guys would really like from a sub. Any tips, ect? I will be concentrating on elementry schools.

[MsCoffeeLover]

This is fantastic! I can tell you what helped me.

When I took a year off and decided to sub, I went into the classroom and actually taught. Well, I could teach the middle levels, but it was a different challenge at the lower levels, but I did my best.

Still, being proactive in the lessons help. Part of the reason why teachers never miss a day is because there is more work upon their return, so it is just easier to come in sick. If you enjoy the kids and being involved in the lessons, your name will go up at the top of the sub list, you can make one school your primary school (if you wanted), and pretty much be called every day.

It also depends on the teacher. Some teachers assign busy work, but if a teacher has effective management and procedures and routines in place, the kids know exactly what to do. Some classes can actually run themselves.

[Chef Dave]

I had a substitute teacher come in last week to cover for me while I was visiting another school district as a guest speaker for their career day. The interesting thing is that I'm a culinary arts teacher and the person they put into my room had no food service experience.

Still - no problem. I planned for that eventuality.

I had the substitute teacher have the beginning culinary arts students work on a nutrition assignment. I had my assistant manager lead the advanced students in the production of a relatively simple lunch:

Daily special: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, country gravy, corn

Fast food: hot dogs in buns with french fries

I specifically asked the substitute to assist the restaurant manager as needed. Unwilling to sit on her duff while my class produced and later sold lunch, she was proactive and put herself on the dish tank. When I returned to school, she was finishing with the last of the pots and pans. It was great!

In terms of your situation, I would recommend preparing filler activities for various grade levels.

Some teachers are not very good about leaving lesson plans for substitutes that are legible and/or detailed enough for a substitute to follow.

When following lesson plans, there is always the possibility that you may find yourself finishing the lesson much earlier than expected. How will you fill that time? Think of simple games that you can play with the students. Bring along a read aloud of short stories that are age appropriate for the grade level. A good substitute is flexible and is always ready for life's little surprises.

[SubTeach03]

When I sub, I take a bag with me full of some different things. I have extra pens, pencils,and erasers. I also keep some band aids and things like that on hand so the students aren't going to the nurses office unnecessarily. I also bring coloring books and make copies in the office after I've looked over the lesson plans if I think I'll have free time. I also have the students go to their classroom library and read if they finish a sheet before another student.

Make sure you feel comfortable in your classroom, or the kids will take advantage of you. Thats what happened my first day. I work for the school district I graduated from and it was weird for me to sub for the person who taught me 7th grade English. Remember that you're in charge and you're there to teach them, not be their friend. Good luck!